Scars of the Past
by TheFreckledLeaf
Summary: The life and hardships of Simba's shady uncle. From when he was a young lion to his death, he faces many adventures , loves and troubles ahead of him. Pairings include ScarxSarabi, SarabixMufasa, and ScarxNala.
1. Chapter 1

**Scars of the Past**

Author's note: I wrote this story a couple years ago when I saw the Lion King on Broadway. (This story will be very dramatic) My mind was blown-I mean I was completely in awe (practically babbling after I saw it) with what I saw. I had new respect for theatre and anything The Lion King. I always had a love for Taka, Muffy and Sarabi so here's their story ~

I was cold, alone, desolate and bare. Icy wind nipped at my back. I couldn't move, I was paralyzed in this body. I couldn't hear or feel anything, and everything around me had an odd blur, like the way things looked in rippling pond

And then, a warm figure loomed over me. Its eyes radiated with a soft light, and a fierce protectiveness. It pressed itself next to me, so that its body was wrapped around my own.

"It's going to be alright. Now hush." Its voice was so welcoming and smooth, that at the sound of it all I wanted to do was hush and lay there forever.

Shame that for the rest of my life I would never hear anything like it.

* * *

Chapter 1

"Taka" Mufasa whispered. "Taka!" he nudged me.  
That was (hem) not the voice I had hoped for, in fact it was the voice that I resented most.

"Taaakaaa" he moaned

"Shut up…" I mumbled, rolling over and covering my ears.

"C'mon Taka!" he pouted, shoving me off of the rock I slept on.I landed with a thump.

If there were two words to describe Mufasa perfectly they would be "big" and "arrogant". For that reason, I was jammed into the cave wall. My cave's wall.

"This… is my cave. And because of that I will decide when it's time to face another _hence _glorious sunrise_._" I grumbled sarcastically into my paw.

"But Taka, you said that if I let you sleep in yesterday, you would walk with me to the waterhole and play "chase" today." Muffy pouted

Damn it. I did say that.

"Fine." I arched my scrawny back and stretched. Mufasa was bouncing up and down eagerly, landing so close to my head that his breath caressed my nose and his eyes - which were the color that I called "Gazelle's behind".

* * *

It was already sunhigh. The sun was high in the sapphire sky and whatever that crap was about. The savannah plains rippled in the soft breeze. A flock of storks flew over our heads, nearly missing my ear.

"Watch it, dodo brain!" I called out. He swore as an answer. Typical.

In the fields, several dark beige lionesses were stalking a zebra. Pity all I would get to eat would be the left hoof.

The sunlight shone on Mufasa's muscular back. His tuft of red hair glistened. Some adoring fan of his had done a decent job grooming him this morning. He glanced back at me with a jolly grin and his amber eyes that always observed every inch of everything. And I hated every inch of his shimmering looked just as my father, the impudent King Ahadi. That's why he was chosen to be king , because he looked strong and handsome and I was a pitiful face. Uru always said it was because he was born first that he had the right to rule. Even though I loved and trusted her, I knew there was something more to that.

I was definitely _far _less impressive than him, with gaunt little limbs that were almost red in color.I had a knot of black mane and angular facial features. My eyes, as I was told, were an intense emerald green that I had inherited from mother.

How I loathed genetics.


	2. Chapter 2

Mufasa had an odd beam on his face, which meant that he had a plan of some sort in his mind. It was probably a surprise for me.

"Guess what Taka! We're not just going to the waterhole to play today, but were gonna spend the day with dad!"

"Great." I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes to watch the clouds roll by. Anything would be more interesting than this conversation.

Mufasa smirked and pushed his heavy body against my own, teasingly. I skidded into a prickly bush, and some rodents under a shady tree nearby began chuckling. "C'mon Taka. It'll be real fun! Sound more excited for once!"

"What are you talking about? I'm practically leaping with joy!" I masked my face with an impression of Mufasa's classic goofy grin. He recoiled when he saw it.

"Never make that face again, please."

* * *

After a long silent stroll along the dusty path to the waterhole, which I actually found peaceful, we saw Ahadi sitting majestically on his fat flaxen colored rump, chatting with some lionesses and lapping up water. As soon as they saw me, they turned their glowering eyes away and gossiped, just after shooting Muffy an adoring smile. Even though the ambiance of the crystalline blue water hole and the lush green grass around it was welcoming and cheery, there was a sense of abhorrence in the air. It was so strong; you could feel it with a swish of a tail.

If there was a being on this planet that I detested most, it would be Ahadi. He was the favoring type of father, and as far as I was concerned in the matter, I was the reject son he treated like something that comes out of one's nose. Let's just say we saw the worst in each other.

"Ah, Mufasa, dear boy, and … Taka." He seemed to gag at the mention of my name. He adverted his gaze from my fixed glare. "Let's walk, shall we?"

Ahadi Lifted himself up onto his massive paws and bid farewell to the lionesses. He glanced back at me with an unreadable expression. His dark-as-a-raven's-wing- hair shone in the sunlight, falling upon his wildebeest-built frame. Some lioness fans he must have too, for such a handsome mane. "Have a nice morning, ladies."

They all replied in unison "Have a nice walk your majesties". To me they rolled their eyes.

It was still fairly early in the morning, and on the path we took to the elder tree, the shrubs seemed to shrug indecisively in the morning wind.

Father signaled for us to pace with him wit his tail. No, he motioned for Muffy to pace with him. The two golden coats were pressed together as Ahadi whispered something into his both burst out, chuckling.

"What?"

Mufasa shook his head, still laughing hard, trying to repress another fit of giggles. "Hey, do you remember that time you tripped over mom…" then he snorted and laughed into his father's pelt.

"And she began screaming at me, startled, because I was yelping in fright?" I asked, shaking my head.

Ahadi and Mufasa both nodded, still beaming. Yep, they were definitely roots from the same tree. The horrible sense of humor was a particular distinguishing feature of Prideland royalty. Maybe that's why I wasn't king…

"Taka, do you mind leaving us alone for a few hours, I wanted to show my son the expanses of our territory." Ahadi said, not even looking at me. "Look… there's a little lioness all by herself. Why don't you go play with her?" and under his breath he mumbled "She's just as pathetic as you are, little runt."

I ignored this, even though I was hurt, and dipped my head to father. Together, they took off leaping to the Grand Hill. I glanced to see who this "pathetic lioness" was, and to my surprise, there was no one there. I was sure I'd seen her a couple of seconds ago…

Deciding to catch up on my snoozing, I placed myself lazily over a decently large rock. It was a bad idea, because half a second after I had slid on, the rock tumbled over , leaving me upside down and upset on a mound of clouding dirt. A single red ant ventured over my ear.

_Maybe I am pathetic. Maybe, its just the rock._

Suddenly, I was recovered with dust.I coughed but only swallowed in I finally opened my eyes, I saw a blob of beige over my left shoulder.

"Whoa, harsh tumble there." said a single friendly surely belonged to a lioness, but it was fairly deep for one.

I turned my still upside down head to see a cub, staring inquisitively at me. Her eyes were the color of a gazelle's behind, as were most lionesses, but they were quite pretty. They looked more like pools of amber on a face of beige. Her chin and eyes were surrounded by a softer shade . Even though her soft curves gave her the distinctive look of a huntress, she had a bulky frame. Not fat, just toned.

"Um... hello." I said awkwardly, wishing she hadn't seen that. I regained my formal composure and licked my paw nonchalantly.

She snorted, raising a very high eyebrow."Tell me, are you Ahadi's son? Why aren't you with him doing 'princely' duties?"

"And why would such a solitary lioness want to know such things?" I responded curtly, raising an eyebrow of my own.

"She cares for the well-being of her pride of course."

It was a stare off of intimidating highly arched she-cub was quite focused, which was rare for most her age. I wasn't going to let her win.

Finally, she pressed her face so close to mine, that our noses practically touched. I blushed mildly.

Then, we both started laughing of the awkwardness. "I'm Taka, Mufasa's brother, but I am most certainly not the future king."

"I thought so" she said , then realizing how rude it must've sounded. "I mean, because you don't really look like Ahadi. But you have his mane, and nose."

I looked at the sky, trying to calm the anger for being called "like Ahadi". "So, what's your name?"

She smiled sincerely at me, amber eyes flashing, and purred "Why I am Sarabi ,sister to the future princess."


	3. Chapter 3

Authors note- A very short chapter in which a shocking realization occurs. Sarabi means 'mirror image ' in Swahili , FYI.~

* * *

I looked at her uncertainly, amber meeting emerald in an almost apprehensive stare. She shifted her paws, but still engaged in the conversation.

"Your brother, what do you think of him?"

I didn't quite know what to say. "He is my brother, and I care for him even if we aren't ranked with the same title."

She cocked her head slightly. "Do you love him?"

"He is my kin, of course I love him, even if he can be a bit arrogant or childish at times."

To my surprise, she snorted loudly and rubbed her head against her dusty paws. "You're not kidding! To think a future king would know how to groom him, or even appreciate others doing it for him!

_So that's why he looked so nice today._ "Does he give any lionesses a big goofy grin when he wakes them up accidentally?"

"I wouldn't say he wakes them up accidentally. I think he purposely tries to trip over them, the great oaf!" she blurted out, then covering her mouth in case anyone other than us had head her insulting the prince. "Sorry."

I think that was the first time I actually smiled wholeheartedly.

"It seems we have much in common already, dear Sarabi." I said in my most impressive voice.

Sarabi still grinned unwaveringly, sitting down with an elegant demeanor under the shade of a partially naked tree. She waited for me to say the next line.

"So, who _is your_ sister? I've never seen any other Prideland royalty besides, well, my family."

Sarabi sighed dramatically and slumped down into her paws. "My sister is the most … pure lioness anywhere. Her pelt, at least. We're not exactly littermates because she was born a year after me, in the North Pride. You see there, I would never fit in. Only the most feminine looking lionesses were even considered as a potential mate." She looked at her coat, almost neglectfully. "As she is the most desirable there, she was chosen to marry Mufasa someday, and unite the two prides for political and territorial reasons."

At that moment, I realized that our stories were almost exactly alike; rejected by everyone around us because of our physical traits. And that wasn't our fault. We are just the creations of our own kind. It's both ironic and idiotic at the same time.

I didn't feel sorry for her, not one bit. I felt at peace next to her, staring at my mirror image. My _Sarabi._

* * *

I guess we had both dozed off in the midst of the Savannah heat, when you could practically see the heat waves bouncing off the ground. The shade of the nude tree was sufficient enough so that you could actually catch some shut eye and not be baked to a crisp, and later be eaten by the vultures.

In the heat, no normal animal, no matter how thirsty or hungry he was would dare to walk across the plains. Mufasa wasn't normal. In fact, I'm not even sure if he was a real animal.

"Hey look, its Taka and Bee under a tree, s-n-o-o-z-i-n-g!"

"Shut up" Sarabi and I both murmured, still loud enough for him to hear. "It's so damn hot, I can smell my fur burning."

I thought I could smell it too. Never mind, it was just Mufasa.

Sarabi rolled over onto her stomach and turned her head daintily toward Mufasa, arching her eyebrows ever so high. "And what would his majesty like at this hour?"

Muffy gave her the you're-almost-as-weird-as-Taka look, and sat down next to me. "What have you guys been doing?"

"What do you think we _were_ doing, Muffy?" I asked impatiently. Drawing scribbles in the dirt with my left claw.

He shrugged and hunched over into his beefy legs. "Dad is busy, so I thought we could still play tag with the other cubs. You know… actually have some fun."

This time, both Sarabi and I arched our eyebrows so high that they practically reached our ears. "Right, because I'm sure _everyone_ wants to play tag right now."

Mufasa smiled brightly and sat up straighter, so quickly that his little mane bobbed in delight. "That's just what I was thinking, Bee!"

_How thick could a lion be?_

Sarabi started chuckling softly while hiding her grin with a tan paw. "Mufasa, why don't you just relax for a bit? I'm sure your father wouldn't mind if you hung out with us. You could tell us about your day."

I rolled my eyes, expecting for Muffy to start rambling on about all of the fantastic things that father had shown him. Instead he asked: "Actually, I'd like to know what you guys did today."

"I slept. I met Sarabi. Then I slept again."

Mufasa sat there unimpressed, his red locks of hair blowing in the heat. He looked like a disapproving ostrich with red feathers. His little eyes looked curiosly at me ,pondering infinitely while his dodo-brain worked hard to even conjure a thought.

"Actually, he stumbled off of the rock king Ahadi had left him on, and then while he was lying there on his head, I tripped over him, thus engaging us in an awkward conversation that ended up going quite well." Sarabi intervened with a sneer.

I shot her a glare. "Thank you for the elaboration, Bee."

The third wheel was meanwhile, chuckling. I'm sure he wouldn't be if he was the one abandoned this morning. "Sorry, Taka."

I grumbled, sinking into my stomach and lying lazily on my stomach.

"So what did you do this morning, your highness?" Bee asked him half distracted by a silvery green bug that was marching across the cracked ground; an explorer on a useless quest.

Mufasa inhaled deeply and began "Well, I first went off with dad to go meet the crocs or alligators, whatever they are, and we told them that they had to _stop _surprising the zebras that drank there. They weren't too happy about that, of course, and they started to snap at dad, but he gave them a big swipe in the face and they left us alone. And then we went to go visit Zuzu's little hatchlings. There are five of them in all, and they all look _exactly_ like her. Except for the blue one. He talks a lot, even for a newborn…

At this point, I blocked out Mufasa's voice and shut my eyes.

"Then we finally raced up the mountain and…

I was sinking deeper into a lazy slumber.

I guess we had both dozed off in the midst of the Savannah heat, when you could practically see the heat waves bouncing off the ground. The shade of the nude tree was sufficient enough so that you could actually catch some shut eye and not be baked to a crisp, and later be eaten by the vultures.

In the heat, no normal animal, no matter how thirsty or hungry he was would dare to walk across the plains. Mufasa wasn't normal. In fact, I'm not even sure if he was a real animal.

"Hey look, its Taka and Bee under a tree, s-n-o-o-z-i-n-g!"

"Shut up" Sarabi and I both murmured, still loud enough for him to hear. "It's so damn hot, I can smell my fur burning."

I thought I could smell it too. Never mind, it was just Mufasa.

Sarabi rolled over onto her stomach and turned her head daintily toward Mufasa, arching her eyebrows ever so high. "And what would his majesty like at this hour?"

Muffy gave her the you're-almost-as-weird-as-Taka look, and sat down next to me. "What have you guys been doing?"

"What do you think we _were_ doing, Muffy?" I asked impatiently. Drawing scribbles in the dirt with my left claw.

He shrugged and hunched over into his beefy legs. "Dad is busy, so I thought we could still play tag with the other cubs. You know… actually have some fun."

This time, both Sarabi and I arched our eyebrows so high that they practically reached our ears. "Right, because I'm sure _everyone_ wants to play tag right now."

Mufasa smiled brightly and sat up straighter, so quickly that his little mane bobbed in delight. "That's just what I was thinking, Bee!"

_How thick could a lion be?_

Sarabi started chuckling softly while hiding her grin with a tan paw. "Mufasa, why don't you just relax for a bit? I'm sure your father wouldn't mind if you hung out with us. You could tell us about your day."

I rolled my eyes, expecting for Muffy to start rambling on about all of the fantastic things that father had shown him. Instead he asked: "Actually, I'd like to know what you guys did today."

"I slept. I met Sarabi. Then I slept again."

Mufasa sat there unimpressed, his red locks of hair blowing in the heat. He looked like a disapproving ostrich with red feathers. His little eyes looked curiosly at me ,pondering infinitely while his dodo-brain worked hard to even conjure a thought.

"Actually, he stumbled off of the rock king Ahadi had left him on, and then while he was lying there on his head, I tripped over him, thus engaging us in an awkward conversation that ended up going quite well." Sarabi intervened with a sneer.

I shot her a glare. "Thank you for the elaboration, Bee."

The third wheel was meanwhile, chuckling. I'm sure he wouldn't be if he was the one abandoned this morning. "Sorry, Taka."

I grumbled, sinking into my stomach and lying lazily on my stomach.

"So what did you do this morning, your highness?" Bee asked him half distracted by a silvery green bug that was marching across the cracked ground; an explorer on a useless quest.

Mufasa inhaled deeply and began "Well, I first went off with dad to go meet the crocs or alligators, whatever they are, and we told them that they had to _stop _surprising the zebras that drank there. They weren't too happy about that, of course, and they started to snap at dad, but he gave them a big swipe in the face and they left us alone. And then we went to go visit Zuzu's little hatchlings. There are five of them in all, and they all look _exactly_ like her. Except for the blue one. He talks a lot, even for a newborn…

At this point, I blocked out Mufasa's voice and shut my eyes.

"Then we finally raced up the mountain and…

I was sinking deeper into a lazy slumber.

"Which brought us to the conversation about who Taka is going to marry… but dad says he can marry whoever he wants to ,as long as he agrees with it."

My eyes shot open. That hyena! I was nothing to him, yet he had complete authorization over who I was to spend the rest of my life with! In that case, it's going to be someone that Mufasa will never have, or love. Probably some ugly sluggish lioness that is conceded and bratty.

Sarabi sat quietly for a while, breathing with each passing breeze. She finally answered in a blank voice "fun".

She knew that she was nothing but a toy anymore.


End file.
